Fury over the acquittals quickly spilled onto the streets, leading to five days of civil unrest - looting, killings and thousands of fires that left parts of Los Angeles looking more like a war zone.
The events of 1992 ignited a national conversation about racial and economic injustice and police use of force that continues today.
We explore the impact of the unrest through the people behind the largest civil disturbance in American history and examine if changes since then to policing have been enough.
Watch the special, "5 Days that Changed L.A." wherever you stream ABC7.
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